Sunday, 18 December 2016

Nutrition Values in Mushrooms

Nutrition

Mushrooms are the perfect food for everyone!

They are low in calories, are fat free, cholesterol free, have very low levels of sugar and salt; they provide a valuable source of dietary fibre, as well as several vitamins and minerals. For more information on specific areas of mushrooms and your nutrition, please see below.

Fibre

Vitamins

Minerals

Mushrooms & Slimming

Mushrooms & Antioxidants

Mushrooms & Cholesterol

Mushrooms & Minerals

Sodium: Mushrooms contain virtually no salt.

Potassium: This important mineral aids in the maintenance of normal fluid and mineral balance, which helps to control blood pressure. Mushrooms contain more potassium than most other fruit and vegetables: one medium Portabello mushroom contains more potassium than a banana.

Calcium: As well as being the most abundant mineral in the human body, calcium provides the structure for our teeth and bones and is needed for muscle contraction. 100g of mushrooms contains 2mg of calcium.

Iron: Mushrooms are a source of iron, which is essential to most life forms and normal human physiology.

Zinc: Found in almost every cell of your body, zinc stimulates the activity of approximately 100 enzymes and amongst other things, supports a healthy immune system. Zinc is found in mushrooms.

Selenium: This mineral works as an antioxidant, protecting body cells from damage that might lead to heart disease and some cancers. Mushrooms are one of the richest, natural sources of selenium.

Ergothioneine: This is another, naturally occurring, antioxidant which is found in mushrooms.

Mushrooms & Slimming

Mushrooms contain almost no fat, sugar or salt, but they are a valuable source of dietary fiber, creating the perfect snack for those on a diet. In addition to being a healthy ‘snack food’, mushrooms are a great, low-calorie way to add flavor and texture to a variety of dishes, including pasta and stir-frys. With a high water content (over 90%) mushrooms can be cooked in their own juices, without the need for butter or oil.

Mushrooms & Antioxidants

As highlighted in ‘Mushrooms & Minerals’ (above) mushrooms contain two antioxidants, Selenium and Ergothioneine. Antioxidants are the scavengers of free radicals and are believed to help the body fight chronic diseases. Researchers in the United States of America have found that White Mushrooms have 12 times more Ergothioneine than wheatgerm, and four times more than chicken livers: previously these were the top rated foods for this antioxidant.

Mushrooms & Cholesterol

Mushrooms [White Buttons and Cups, Brown Portabellos, and the exotic cultivated Shiitakes and Enoki mushrooms] are rich in the non-starch polysaccharides (NSP) chitin and beta-gluten. Recent research demonstrates that these NSP, or dietary fibre, can help to reduce blood cholesterol and protect against heart disease.